


Home for the Holidays

by starkly



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, Christmas Party, Inspired by Hallmark Christmas Movies, M/M, Reunions
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:47:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29090784
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkly/pseuds/starkly
Summary: Tony hasn’t been back to his hometown since the divorce. He just can’t stand the thought of going back to that small town and seeing everyone he used to know still there while they all act like he’s some bigshot for getting some fancy tech job and leaving them. Add on all the unnecessary sympathy about his divorce and it’s going to be an insufferable Christmas.But here he is, at his parents’ annual winter holiday party, drinking champagne after champagne in the hopes that he’ll eventually pass out.
Relationships: James "Rhodey" Rhodes/Tony Stark
Comments: 1
Kudos: 33





	Home for the Holidays

**Author's Note:**

> Written for ad1thi on [tumblr](https://aleator.tumblr.com/post/638343620009902080), who requested "some sort of childhood friends reuniting around christmas esque AU." Originally posted on 12/23/20.

Tony hasn’t been back to his hometown since the divorce. Longer than, probably. Okay, it’s been years and he knows it. He just can’t stand the thought of going back to that small town and seeing everyone he used to know still there while they all act like he’s some bigshot for getting some fancy tech job and leaving them. Add on all the unnecessary sympathy about his divorce and it’s going to be an insufferable Christmas.

But here he is, at his parents’ annual winter holiday party, drinking champagne after champagne in the hopes that he’ll eventually pass out.

“Anthony! Look who’s here,” his mother says, coaxing him over to her like he’s a skittish animal. “It’s the Rhodeses. You should go say hi.”

Tony doesn’t want to go say hi, but he sighs and looks in the direction that Maria is gently nudging him. Mr. and Mrs. Rhodes are standing in the doorway to the main hall, and behind them--

Tony freezes, nearly dropping his champagne glass. He hasn’t seen James Rhodes since they graduated high school, which was what, nearly fifteen years ago?

Jim spots him over his mom’s shoulder and smiles, and Tony practically goes weak at the knees. How had he forgotten what a nice smile Jim had?

“Hey, Tony,” Jim says as he approaches, still with that dazzling smile of his. “I’m surprised to see you here.”

“At my parents’ house?”

“You never come back for Christmas,” Jim reminds him, as if Tony wasn’t aware.

“What about you? Do you visit every year?”

Jim shakes his head. “Not always. I’m on leave right now so I’ve got the time.”

And just like that it comes back to him--their falling out. Tony had wanted Jim to come to MIT with him, he was definitely smart enough to get in, but Jim had chosen to go into the Air Force Academy all the way on the other side of the country. It had felt like the ultimate betrayal to Tony at the time and they’ve barely spoken to each other since.

“Do you want to go catch up?” Jim asks, snapping him out of his walk down memory lane.

“Sure,” Tony says without thinking, like the idiot he is.

They end up in the backyard garden his mother maintains. It’s cold but there’s no snow on the ground, the season unusually warm this year. Jim has a mug of eggnog, but Tony has his hands shoved into his jacket pockets, feeling awkward.

He doesn’t know what to say at first, but Jim asks him a few questions that Tony clumsily navigates through and Jim doesn’t seem to mind. After a little while Tony relaxes and they’re able to talk more easily until finally it feels like a single day hasn’t gone by since they left home.

“Do you remember when Mr. Malone--”

“--started a fire in the chem lab? Yeah.”

“That was probably the most exciting thing he ever did.”

“His lectures were so boring!”

Jim’s laughing so hard he starts leaning against Tony and Tony has to put a hand on his shoulder to steady him. As Jim’s laughter dies down and he wipes a tear from the corner of his eye, Tony smiles at him, wondering how he could have ever been so mad at him that they stopped talking.

“I’m sorry,” he blurts out, hand still on Jim’s shoulder. “I was a real dick to you about the Air Force thing. I shouldn’t have been such a jerk.”

Jim’s smile softens and he reaches up to curl his hand around Tony’s wrist and give him a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay. We were kids. I’m just sorry we fell out of contact with each other. I missed talking to you.”

“I missed you too,” Tony admits, shifting awkwardly in place. “I feel like college wasn’t as fun as it could have been with you there.”

“Yeah,” Jim says quietly, dropping his hand from Tony’s arm.

They stand there silently for a few moments, and Tony casts about for something else to talk about, something less embarrassing.

“So, uh, no ring on that finger, huh?” he asks, and immediately wishes he could kick himself in the ass.

Jim doesn’t seem to take offense, just smiles and shakes his head. “Got nobody to give that ring to right now,” he says. “I heard about, uh…”

“Yeah,” Tony replies, staring down at his feet. He has no doubt his mother told Mrs. Rhodes about his divorce and she probably immediately told Jim.

“I’m sorry,” Jim says, but Tony shakes his head before he can apologize more.

“Not your fault. Just didn’t work out.”

They fall silent again looking out over the garden, and Tony nearly startles when he feels Jim’s gloved hand slip into his and hold onto him. Tony hesitates, then curls his hand around Jim’s in return. They don’t say anything right away, until a couple minutes later it starts to snow, the soft flakes illuminated by the moon and the lights from the house.

“Would you look at that?” Jim says gleefully. “Maybe we’ll have snow for Christmas after all.”

Tony looks over at him, watching the way Jim smiles as he looks up at the light flurry of snow coming down over them. Like there’s nothing better in the world. Tony really, really misses that smile.

Mostly he misses having that smile directed at him.

Jim notices him staring after a moment and grins. “What, do I have something on my face?”

“Maybe,” Tony replies instinctively, then, “yes.”

Jim starts to let go of Tony’s hand so he can wipe his face and Tony immediately clamps down on Jim’s hand, not letting him go.

“I was just kidding, you don’t have anything. I was just looking at your face.”

Jim gives him a puzzled look for a moment, then he just smiles again. “Good to see you’re just as weird as you used to be.”

“It’s a good face,” Tony mumbles somewhat pathetically in his defense.

“You have a good face too, Tones,” Jim replies, leaning into him again as he adjusts his grip on Tony’s hand to hold on more securely.

Just hearing Jim’s old nickname for him makes Tony feel like he could fly straight over the moon right now. To his surprise, he can’t remember the last time in recent history he felt this happy. Maybe coming back home for Christmas this year wasn’t so bad after all.


End file.
